Alcoa has guaranteed that over 90% of its mine lease in Anglesea will remain protected and managed similar to a national park, after voluntarily re-negotiating the terms of its State Agreement with the Victorian Government.Under the Agreement to be introduced to Parliament this week, Alcoa will restrict its current and future coal mining operations to within a 665 hectare area. The remaining 6,400 hectares of Anglesea Heathland will continue to be cooperatively managed by Alcoa, the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) and Parks Victoria.

General Manager of Manufacturing, Victorian Operations, John Osborne said the updated State Agreement strikes the right balance in protecting a valuable coastal health ecosystem while providing certainty for Alcoa’s Anglesea operations.

“The Anglesea power station is integral to our business in Victoria, and after over 40 years of operation we understand why the Anglesea Heath is valued by many people, including our own employees.

“In modernising the terms of the State Agreement, we have ensured those values are protected.”

The Anglesea power station provides 40% of the power needs for Alcoa’s Point Henry aluminium smelter and associated rolling mill. Alcoa’s operations provide direct employment for over 1100 people in the Geelong and Surf Coast region, injecting more than $154 million dollars in wages and salaries into the local economy each year, and purchasing goods and services from over 1,000 local suppliers.

“Our mine and power station at Anglesea remain the most secure and cost competitive power source available to Alcoa in Victoria at this time,” Mr Osborne said.